Trolley.



a 0 9 1L N. A u D B T N E T A P R M m L ML -m T W 7 8 0O 7 7 0 N APPLIUATIOiI FILED MAY 28. 1904.

. W 9% 1 bl @Q Q vwamtoz m w m anemia IINTTED STATES Patented January 3, 1905 PATENT OEErcE.

WILLIAM WILSON MERCER, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN J. CADY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,987, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed May 28,1904=. Serial No. 210,238.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WrLsoN MER- OER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Trolley, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates particularly to that type known as overhead trolleys, usually supported upon the roof of a car and engaging a current-supply wire supported above the track.

The object is to provide a novel and comparatively simple structure which will permit the wheel to assume different angular relations with respect to the pole, and thus the path of movement of said wheel can conform more closely to the curvatures and unevenness of the wire upon which it travels, avoiding to a material degree the danger of the trolley disengaging the wire, with its consequent disagreeable and sometimes dangerous features. Moreover, the structure is such that it will withstand the rough usage and exposure to the elements to which it is necessarily subjected.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a trolley-pole, showing the improved structure applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4 L of Fig. 1.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlogs.

The upper portion of the trolley-pole is designated by the reference-numeral 5 and is tubular in form to receive the stem 6 of a head 7, located at the upper end of the pole and having an upright socket 8 therethrough. Said socket in turn receives an upright cylindrical stem 9, that is capable of partial revolution therein and has a flange 10 at its upper end resting upon the top of the head 7. The stem carries spaced upstanding arms 11,

forming a bracket, and the upper ends of said arm are connected by a pin 12, constituting a journal upon which the wheel 13 is revolubly mounted. The wheel may be of any desired or well-known construction and in the present instance has a hub 14:, provided with an annular oil or lubricant receiving pocket 15, together with a bearing-sleeve 16, extending therethrough and covering the inner side of the pocket. Access to the pocket is'obtained through an opening 17, normally closed' by a suitable screw 18. The journal-pin 12 has ahead 19 at one end, which prevents its longitudinal displacement in one direction, whileasplitkey 20, passing through the other end, holds the same against movement in an opposite direction.

It will be observed that the lower end of the spindle 9 projects below the lower end of the head 7 and is provided in one side with a transversely-disposed seat 21, having a flat bottom 22, constituting a shoulder. A leafspring 23, secured to the head, preferably at the rear side of the same, has its lower end inturned, as shown at 24, with the free terminal thereof located in the seat 21 and bearing against the shoulder 22. The spring is fastened in place by screws 25 and 26, the latter of which constitutes a tension device by means of which the spring may be loosened or tightened. The rotary movement of the spindle 9 in the socket 8 is limited, by means of a screw 27, secured to the spindle 9 and passing through a slot 28, formed in one wall of the socket.

Secured to the front face of the trolleypole 5 contiguous to the upper end is a guardarm 29, the upper end of which. is spaced from the head and located adjacent to the lower portion of the wheel, the lower end being offset slightly and disposed flat against the pole, as shown. A fastening device in the form of a rivet or other suitable device is passed through said lower end, through the pole, and also through the stem 6, thus constituting good securing means for these three elements. 4

The trolley is used in the ordinary man nerthat is to say, the wheel is yieldingly supported against the under side of the supply- Wire. It will be clear that in turning curves or where there is great unevenness in the wire the wheel will still be maintained on the wire, as it can assume different angular relations with respect to the head or pole. At the same time when such angular relations are assumed the spring 23 is pressed backwardly by the shoulder 22. The force of this spring is sufficient to again return the spindle, and consequently the wheel, to its normal position. The result is that there is little danger of the wheel asssuming an angular relation with respect to the wire, and therefore the danger of the trolley jumping or disengaging said wire is very greatly reduced. The parts, moreover, are extremely simple and are such that they will withstand hard usage and exposure to the elements, though possessing the necessary electrical contacts to permit the free passage of electricity therethrough.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in. the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in- Vention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a head having a socket, of a bracket having a spindle journaled in the socket, said spindle having a transversely-disposed shoulder arranged on one side of the same, a wheel journaled in the bracket, and a spring secured to the head and located longitudinally of the spindle, said spring having an inturned free portion that rests against the shoulder and normally holds the bracket in a fixed position though permitting the partial rotation thereof.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole member having a socket, of a bracket member having a spindle rotatably mounted in the socket, said spindle having a transverse recessed seat in one side, a spring secured to the pole member and having a substantial straight end edge located in the seat and bearing against the bottom of the same, said spring permitting the rotation of the spindle and returning thesame to a normal position, and a trolley-wheel journaled in the bracket member.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a head, of a bracket having a depending spindle journaled in the headand projecting below the lower side thereof, said spindle having a transversely-disposed seat in one side below the lower side' of the head, a wheel journaled in the upper portion of the bracket, and a depending spring secured to the head and having an inturned lower terminal that engages in the seat and permits the partial rotation of the stem in the head.

4. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole, of a head secured to the upper end of the same and having a substantially vertical socket, an upright spindle journaled in the socket and projecting below the same, spaced upstanding arms carried by the upper end of the spindle and constituting a bracket, a trolley-wheel j ournaled to and between the arms, the lower end of said spindle havingatransversely-disposed seat in one side provided with a flat bottom, and an upright spring secured to the head and having an inset lower end that is located in the seat and bears against the bottom thereof, said spring permitting the partial revolution of the spindle and returning the same to a normal position.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a trolley-pole having atubular portion at its upper end, of a head having a stem fitted in the tubular portion, a trolleywheel supported on the head, a guard-arm having its lower end arranged against the outer side ofthe pole and its upper end disposed contiguous to the wheel, and a common fastening device passing through the lower end of the guard-arm, the pole and the stern for securing the same together.

, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM WILsoN MERCER. Witnesses:

R. L. SANnERsoN,

C. S. THOMSON. 

